Sleep Apnea May Increase Depression Risk in Men: STUDY

Researchers have found that sleep problems are often a symptom of depression, but a new study raises the possibility that they could cause depression as well.

Men with undiagnosed, severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) had more than double the risk of depression compared to those without sleep apnea, said study researcher Carol Lang, a research fellow in the department of medicine at the University of Adelaide in Australia.

These researchers assert that certain aspects of PTSD, such as disturbed sleep and sleep deprivation, psychological and physical stressors of combat and hyper arousal due to those stressors, may increase the chances of occurrence of sleep apnea.

Study author Dr. Carol Lang said, "Excessive daytime sleepiness and severe OSA were both associated with the prevalence and recent onset of depression in our community-based sample of men, and the presence of both was associated with an even greater risk." And furthermore, it was the men whose sleep issues had gone disregarded that had the most chances of eventually developing depression.

The study authors wrote, "Men with previously undiagnosed OSA and EDS had 4.2 times greater odds of depression than subjects without OSA and EDS and 3.5 times greater odds of depression than individuals with either OSA or EDS alone."

The study found that some of the men had both severe sleep apnea and excessive daytime sleepiness. They were 4.2 times more likely to be depressed compared with men who had no sleep issues, the researchers found. Those with both conditions were also 3.5 times more likely to be depressed than men with only one of them.